In Europe, Greener Transit on Existing Infrastructure

Vienna shifts to electric buses, it is striving to be a leader in green transportation by testing new systems that can potentially create a cleaner, quieter downtown.
By ERICA GIES
Published: July 7, 2013

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Vienna is employing some old-fashioned technology to run shiny new electric buses wending their way through the narrow inner-city streets.

The Austrian capital is switching from buses powered by liquefied petroleum gas to a novel, first-of-its-kind fleet of electric buses that run unplugged, go anywhere, and recharge their batteries using the overhead power lines of older trams. Twelve of the buses, each of which can carry 40 passengers, are in service.

As Vienna shifts to electric buses, it is striving to be a leader in green transportation by testing new systems that can potentially create a cleaner, quieter downtown. Vienna is one of several European cities — struggling to square tight budgets with civic goals to meet climate targets — that are experimenting with new electric vehicles and infrastructure systems for buses and trains.

With the European Union’s ambitious goals to reduce global warming, these cutting-edge technologies are part of a slow-motion revolution in urban transit. Siemens, which provided technology for the electric buses, is negotiating with at least five cities in Europe and two in South America that have existing tram lines and might adopt the Vienna system, said Andreas Laske, of the eBus program at Siemens Rail Systems in Berlin.

The electric buses are more expensive, however, said Anna Reich of Wiener Linien, the city-owned transport company. But the city saved money by not having to build new infrastructure for the fleet.

“Vienna has the fifth largest tram infrastructure in the world,” Ms. Reich said by telephone. “We wanted to use the infrastructure we already have.”

The red and white buses partly recharge in 10 to 15 minutes between runs by pulling into an existing tram station and hooking up to electric current via a pantograph, an arm on the roof that carries the electricity. While electricity itself is not environmentally friendly unless it comes from renewable sources, city officials figure the buses — which are made by the Rampini company in Perugia, Italy — will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions 300 tons a year.

At night, the batteries recharge fully at the depot. Because the buses have modest range requirements, they use a smaller battery, which makes them lighter and less expensive than those that require larger batteries.

One of the new electric buses costs at least 400,000 euros, or $519,000, as much as double the cost of a comparable diesel bus, Mr. Laske said. He said that the battery was expensive but that prices were likely to drop as production rose. Some expenses are offset by lower operating costs, generally 25 percent to 35 percent less because of savings on fuel and maintenance, he added.

Expense was not Vienna’s only consideration, Ms. Reich said. “We always wanted to go greener,” she said. “We wanted to implement something new and help the technology improve.”

Their efforts have been influenced by a series of European Commission initiatives to address climate change and reduce dependence on imported fuel. The commission has set a goal for member states to reduce transportation emissions by 60 percent by 2050. Buses account for as much as 60 percent of the public transit in Europe, and 95 percent of those use gasoline or diesel fuel.